Inception

Silent Revolution officially launched as a global accessory design brand in 2006. It was started by Andrea and Kyriakos Toyias, a husband and wife team who wanted to create a line of bags that reflected their interests and design sensibilities. Andrea brought with her a background in sculpture which lead to her utilizing unusual fabrics and implementing sculptural details. Kyriakos’ background as a minimalist architect hailing from London helped create the design theory – sleek, clean design combined with urban form. Together they've developed a strong design perspective for their line of bags that they’ve tagged “Bags for the Digital Age”.

Inspiration

Silent Revlolution's main sources of inspiration come from two distinct fields: modern architecture and electronic music. They feel that both are leading the way in creating new textures – both physically and sonically. The works of architect Zaha Hadid, and artists James Turell and Donald Judd continually inspire and motivate the SR team. Hadid's buildings and Turrell & Judd's sculptures provide endless hours of design brainstorming. Sonically, Radiohead has influenced Silent Revolution in countless ways - from moving Andrea and Kyriakos into thinking about the “texture” and physical translation of sound ("Kid A" changed their life) – to expanding and resonating with A & K’s global social consciousness.

Production

As well as believing firmly in their design principles, Andrea and Kyriakos are also passionate about having their bags made sweatshop-free, domestically produced in Los Angeles. All bags are made by hand with tremendous amount of attention paid to both design and detailing. Their belief in fair wages and safe working environments remains steadfast. They take great pride in their manufacturing and have joined a growing number of other business who are willing to take a stand and make a statement against overseas, exploited labor. The factory that produces their bags is "third generation". It was started by a young man, fresh out of the military after WWII who started a small sewing facility to support his family. The SR Team now works with his grandsons who are a vital part in bringing the bags to life!

Eco Consciousness

Andrea and Kyriakos often get asked whether or not their bags are "green" due to the usage of vinyl and nylon. Without hesitation, their answer is always YES! Their bags are produced employing what they call GREEN LABOR! What does GREEN LABOR mean? Green Labor means that all S.R. bags are produced by non-sweatshop factories, domestically in Los Angeles. People are used to "green" reflecting bio-degradable or recycled materials. What people don't realize is that often times green or recycled products are being manufactured overseas and brought over by ship. The amount of pollution added to the environment by the larger international tankers is far more toxic to the environment than the usage of vinyl. Rather than posting the statistics here, you can get more info by reading what Wikipedia has to say about pollution caused by shipping. Additionally, Silent Rev's bags are built to last, not built to follow a trend. Thus, they are not "disposable, fast food goods". Rather, their style and structure have been designed to be classic and timeless. Silent Revolutoin strives to offer "quality - not consumption".

Continuation

Drawing from these inspirations and staying true to both their social and design principles, Silent Revolution has successfully blended modern design and urban streetwear into a bold line of bags for men and women. Andrea and Kyriakos are working hard to continue growing their line and hope to introduce a line of architecturally inspired t-shirts in Fall 2008. The growth and recognition they are continually receiving proves they’re on the right path. Stay tuned for more great things!